Johari Window, Part II

I blogged about the Johari Window a few months ago here. In summary, the Johari Window is a very simple and quick exercise that any two (or more) people can engage to give and receive feedback quickly, simply, and openly.  I’ve recently come across two online implementations that are fun and easy to use.

For those social media fans out there, you can use the Facebook application to share feedback with your friends and associates.  What you might learn about yourself is worth the effort.

If you don’t do the Facebook thing, you can use a stand-alone web version.  No registration or hoops required, but it takes a bit more work to invite others to participate.

If you haven’t already, experiment with the Johari Window with some friends, family, and/or coworkers.  After filling out the form and comparing notes, a discussion to understand the results may prove even more enlightening.

Ask for and give feedback daily!

Feedback and the Johari Window

DesignFacilitator’s Client Feedback Tool uses many of the premises described by the Johari Window. The Johari Window describes two axis of feedback:

• Asking for Feedback (Horizontal)
• Giving Feedback (Vertical)

In brief, the health of your relationship with someone (a client for example) can be measured by the SIZE of your “arena” (see the diagram). The more you ask for feedback, the more awareness you develop about yourself – reducing your blind spot and increasing your arena (the vertical line moves to the right). Likewise, the more feedback you provide, the smaller your facade, and again, the bigger your arena (the horizontal line moves down).

Diagram of the Johari Window

Using a feedback system like DesignFacilitator to constantly ask for feedback from clients will increase the health of your client relationships. When you know what your clients think and feel about your project processes, you have eliminated your blind spot. Being aware of your relationships’ quality allows you to make intelligent, informed business decisions (such as when a client will be amenable to a fee increase).

Likewise, building a healthy system of communication by asking for feedback frequently will enable you to give feedback to your clients as well. With an open feedback loop, you can both guide and tweak each others’ processes to create better performing projects for everyone.